St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-16
IT WAS FAIRLY TEsTH.I
An Interesting Exhibition Of the Wess
inghouse Air Brake.
ITS WONDERFUL POWER.
A Delighted Audience of Prominent
~ Railroad People.

Something like 200 railroad men re-
Sponded to the invitation of the West
inghouse Air Brake company yesterday
and attended their exhibition of what
could. be done with the latest improved
air brake. The company has worked a
year and half ON new triple-valye,
which has just been perfected and is
now being shown to the public, st. Paul
being the first point where they have
shown its full capacity.
The Minneapolis Il St. Louis 10:15
train carried the people from st. Paul
to the Northern Pacific shops, near
which the tests were to be made. The
track here makes big curve, begin
ming on grade of 31.6 feet and ending
with SO feet to the mile. 1t was
beautiful day, the track was in ex-
cellent condition and everybody
felt good. The spectators included
many prominent railroad people. Repre-
senting the Westinghouse company
Were Messrs. Herman Westinghouse, IN
charge. Secretary w. w. Card, Supt.
I. w. Weleh, L. W. Close, engineer;
Frank Moore, assistant superintendent,
and Others. The train consists of so
box cars of 1000 pounds capacity each,
supplied with the Janney coupler and
Wagner doors and two engines from the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road. 1t
weighs, all told, over $50 tons, and is
probably the most completely equipped
train of freight cars that ever travelled.
At about II O'Clock the train was started
for the first test, which the programme
termed the "emergency StOp"-that is,
in case where it is necessary to make
very sudden halt to save property, and
possibly lives. This was accomplished
in seven seconds, the train moving only
172 feet after the brakes were applied.
The second trial was more interesting,
the train being brought to a Standstill,
while running thirty-SiX miles an hour,
in less than fifteen seconds, and less
than 500feet. This was indeed remark
able; and every trainman ON the ground
looked as if he had just woke up sud-
denly from a heavy sleep-that is,i he
looked doubtful as to his condition;
whether asleep OF awake. Then the
brakes were applied while the train was
at a standstill, with the passengers in
the rear, or fiftieth car from the engine.
The telephone bell (another feature)
was rung at the exact moment, and, Just
one and one half seconds elapsed before
the ''kerchug" of the brake was heard
This is mighty near instantaneous and
showed clearly the wonderful quicknesS
of the brake, and the promptnesS of it's
action under ordinary circumstances.
Astonishment was depicted on every
countenance. The train backed up
again and went tearing down the grade
at thirty-seven miles an hour. The
the signal post, and stop was made in
$50 feet, or less than 20 car lengths.
People began to grow excited and
rushed about making all sorts of in
quiries. A ''service'' stop was ordered,
and at a speed of 20 miles an hour only
35 pounds of air was used on the brakes.
The train was then broken in the mid
die, running % miles an hour, and the
rear part stopped within los feet. 1t
would be difficult to explain, indeed, all
this means to any one not practical
''railrOader." Thirty cars were cut Off,
and the train was then supposed to rep
resent passenger train of 20 cars, with
the pressure accordingly heavy. The
first run was made at rate of 20 miles
an hour, and stopped in 100
feet, or about three and half
car-lengths. Another run at 81
mile gait was stopped IN 327 feet-a
very remarkable performance. When
the brakes were thus arranged
for passenger service, the cars were
''Skidded," or made to slide. In freight
service the cost of replacing s'flatn
wheels forbids sliding, but in passenger
service this is allowed under urgent
circumstances, when the lives of human
beings are in peril. Heretofore the
quickest application attainable of a
brake at the rear end of a train of fifty
cars, without the aid of electricity, has
been seventeen seconds. By the aid of
the triple valve used Oh this train, the
simplicity of which permits its use on
any train, a positive application of the
brake on the last car is made in less
than two seconds. Men stare aghast.
And yet, strange to say, three or four
+ fellows were leaning over the door-bar
in the forward car, and didn't seem
to mind it ALL Old railroad
men were dumbfounded. They
never expected to see such
thing done safely. After the eight tests
which the programme called for were
over, the managers were heartily con-
graduated by the more prominent men.
and assured of the latter's good will
and faith in the great Westinghouse.
The gentleman in charge, and the train
and crew will go from here to AIilwau-
kee, thence to Chicago, ST. Louis,
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Buff
falo, Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
and West again, probably an extended
trip through the South They are all
pleasant people, and fit representatives
of the great Westinghouse company.
Fine Watch Repairing,